A New World, a New Home
by StarsOfMystery
Summary: Jaylah has been left to her own devices at Yorktown until Scotty decides to join her on her adventures. Jaylah/Scotty. Rated M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm very excited about this story. I know where it's going but I'm not yet sure how we're going to get there yet but we can find out together. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I already have the next chapter written and will be posting it once I finish the third chapter since I can't leave anyone hanging for long on this (including myself). Please leave a review as it is a huge encouragement to know people's thoughts on the story (even criticisms). I hope you enjoy.**

A New World, a New Home

Jaylah wasn't known for her soft side. Her "edge" had yet to come off since arriving at Yorktown and although the crew of the Enterprise was stuck there until the new ship was completed, she rarely saw any of them. Since her arrival at Yorktown Jaylah had become the mystery of the day in the eyes of the Federation. In the days following the captain's birthday party, Jaylah was regularly approached by dozens of historians and scientists. Each one of them attempting to learn everything they could about her, and her people. She answered a few of their questions but her family, her people, and the history of either weren't topics she felt comfortable sharing about with strangers. Nor was she okay with the doctors' requests to poke and prod at her for blood samples. Jaylah began making a point of spending her days away from those who knew her face. The Starfleet officers were always adamant that she return to the science labs for more questions. For the first couple of weeks she was able to slip past the crowd of inquisitive scientists but soon they were showing up at her door, more often each day.

So began the days of Jaylah sneaking out of her quarters early in the day to prevent the constant barrage of inquiries about her life before Altamid. Once she made her getaway, she would often be seen by the many different Yorktown residents as she explored the streets and buildings of the magnificent city. Jaylah could hardly make sense of everything she saw. All the sights, sounds, and interactions between the inhabitants were alien to her and yet, ironically, she stood to be the most alien thing there. New sights unlike anything she'd seen before. Around every corner there was something new to discover and her feet would carry her all over the city until the synthetic sunlight began to fade.

She soon learned that it was in these late hours that the city would show her a completely different side of itself. The buildings would light up like the stars, and all around she could hear different styles of music coming from the many clubs and bars that remained open all throughout the night.

Not far from where the new Enterprise was under construction she happened upon a bar called "Genesis" that played much of her favorite music. Immediately after walking into the establishment, Jaylah decided that this was a place that could help take her "edge off." The music was loud, the crowd a less than polished bunch, and not a Starfleet uniform to be seen. And it was here she stayed, almost every other evening, trying to find a drink that actually had an effect.

A few days later, during one of these nightly excursions, she was caught by the Enterprise's chief engineer. He heard that she'd been avoiding anyone in uniform, so when he looked up to the upper level of the bar and saw a familiar pair of boots resting on the railing, he was thankful he'd forgone the signature red shirt.

After making his way up the stairs, he could see that she had made herself comfortable in a large leather chair by the banister. Her feet were propped up, she held a purple drink in one hand, and her cheek resting on the other. Her white ponytail stood out in the dim lighting of the bar, seemingly blending into the shifts between the blue, purple, and red lights. He came up behind her seat and she had yet to notice his trek towards her location. Her eyes were inconspicuously regarding a young couple a few yards away that were engaged in what appeared to be a lover's spat.

"Hello lassie." At the sound of his voice her feet quickly pulled away from the banister and he didn't miss her apprehension at his arrival.

"Oh don' worry. I'm no' going to tell anyone I've see you. I overheard that you're quite the reluctant celebrity these days" He watched her shoulders relax and decided to take the seat adjacent to her. The music that was blaring through the many speakers around the building automatically told him why Jaylah had picked this place to hide out.

"Beats and shouting eh?" Scotty gestured to the air recalling Jaylah's words to him on the Franklin.  
She smiled and nodded before downing the purple liquid in her glass.

"Still no effect?" he asked gesturing to the collection of glasses at her table.

"No. But the bartender said that if I drink the next one with him, he promise it would be stronger. Although, I am not sure how this would help."

Scotty smiled at how oblivious the young woman was "I think he was just flirting with ya lassie."  
"I do not know what is flirting."  
"It just means he's attracted to ya." She furrowed her brows at his response and looked down through the railing at the bartender below.  
"Well I do not like him. He smells like fish." Her answer had Scotty laughing and she smiled when she saw his reaction to her statement. He hadn't seen her in weeks and realized that he'd missed her company.  
"Well you don't have to drink with him if you don't want to. How abou' this. I'll go and get the next round and when I get back you can tell me wha' you've been up to lately." She nodded at him and he made his way down the stairs to grab their drinks.

While making his way down to the bar he couldn't help but wonder at the slight twinge of jealousy he'd felt at her mention of the bartender's flirting. Jaylah was quite obviously an attractive woman. Even he didn't miss the way her bright yellow eyes would light up whenever she found a reason to smile. But there was more to her than that. She had a certain innocence about her that gave her an endearing quality. This soft side was also accompanied by air of strength and a maturity far beyond her years. She walked with the confidence of a woman who had been scarred by her past but was fully ready to take on this strange new world head on. It was no wonder the bartender, or any man for that matter, would want to flirt with her.

Scotty rubbed the back of his neck trying to slow down the current direction of his thoughts and focus on the drinks he needed to get. The Enterprise would eventually be leaving for another year and a half and she was going to be headed to earth to start her education. These facts were grounding, and generally were the very thing that helped keep his thoughts from travelling down such a dangerous road. She wasn't his to feel jealous over and wasn't about to be. He forced his thoughts back to the task at hand and decided on their drinks.

Once he'd returned she picked up one of the small glasses he'd brought containing a slightly yellow liquid.  
"What is this?" She pondered the small glass in her hand.  
"Oh tha's just an orange juice chaser. You take it with the shot. See." He downed one of the shots then drank down the chaser. Vodka definitely wasn't his first choice for a drink but thought that she might like something a bit stronger. Jaylah followed his lead and took the shot and then the chaser. She looked into the empty glass previously filled with the sweet yellow liquid and gave him a slight smile that he'd never seen before.

"I like this one." Her statement was so matter-of-fact and Scotty couldn't help the slight pull in his chest at the sight of her sudden smile come and go. He willed his emotions back into safer territory and ordered her another glass of orange juice as well as a glass of scotch on the rocks for himself. The evening continued with him sipping on his scotch during their conversation and her drinking down two more large glasses of orange juice. An hour into their conversation he began to notice that something was off. Jaylah had begun laughing at things that weren't particularly funny and her words were coming out with a slight slur.

"Jaylah." He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and gave her a questioning look. "Are you alrigh'?"  
The woman in question turned her head toward the ceiling before speaking "You ask many queshions Montgomery Scotty." In that moment, Scotty realized that somehow the orange juice was having a similar effect on her system that alcohol would have on him.  
"I think that's enough juice lassie" He moved to take her glass but she pulled it away, accidentally spilling what was left on the floor. She let out a small giggle at the mistake and he had to wonder if anyone had ever heard her giggle.  
"Well it would seem your edge is off lassie" He smiled before standing up. She gave him slight grin before asking for another glass.  
He looked down at his own empty glass. "Actually, I think we best be getting' you back lass."

He moved to help her up but she insisted of standing on her own. He was surprised to find that, although she seemed mildly intoxicated, she still maintained her graceful movements. If it weren't for her slurred speech and odd laughing from earlier he wouldn't have noticed anything. She rejected any offer he made to help her down the stairs but as they were making their way out he felt her slip her arm into the crook of his and wave goodbye to the bartender who was currently looking rather surly. If she'd taken a moment to look up she may have noticed the slight blush that stained the engineer's cheeks. He knew how this must look but decided against making any mention of it to Jaylah.

Jaylah seemed content to hold onto his arm while they made their way back to her quarters. Her tone had returned to being relatively neutral and she took the time to point out a few of the places she'd visited. She told him about some of the many things that she'd seen during her walks through the city and how Genesis had become her favorite place to relax and people-watch in the evenings. Throughout her musings she remained completely oblivious to the state of her companion. Scotty had been listening intently to her descriptions of the city but lost all ability to focus when her fingers started rubbing circles on the arm she had a hold of. She seemed completely unaware of the effect her touch was having on the Scotsman and he guessed that her movements were subconscious rather than intentional. Her tone remained neutral and from where he was standing she seemed completely unaffected by their close proximity. He, on the other hand, felt like she was making quick work of the walls he'd put in place to help keep his thoughts toward her platonic.

Once back at her door he bid her goodnight but was surprised when she reached up to hug him around the neck.

"Goodnight Montgomery Scotty." He knew that if not for her current state, she probably wouldn't have made such a move but he couldn't help but smile at the uncharacteristic behavior and her special name for him. Without another word Jaylah returned to her quarters leaving the Scotsman to stand at the door wondering at just what other surprises the young woman had up her sleeve.

The next day Scotty made sure to check on her before heading off to get an update on the Enterprise. She complained about having a terrible headache so he radioed for one of the on-staff medical officers to bring her something to ease the pain. Little did how know that the price for making that call would be extremely high.

 **Reviews appreciated and the next chapter will be up within a week.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A New World, A New Home: Chapter 2**

Later that day Jaylah heard the indicator that someone was at her door. She guessed that it was probably the medical officer that Scotty had called. She was fully ready to send them away since her headache had already dissipated and she felt like exploring again. However, when the door to her quarters opened she found a group of three Starfleet officers all dressed in blue save for a couple security guards waiting nearby. She'd never seen any of these people before and couldn't stop the uneasy feeling they gave her.

The one leading the group was a short, stout, man with a large nose and lopsided grin. Despite being slightly shorter than Jaylah he still managed to look down his crooked nose at her before speaking in a nasally voice.

"Hello Miss Jaylah. I'm Doctor Isenberg and we need you to come with us."

"Why?" Jaylah immediately felt on edge after hearing his request and began looking for a quick escape route.

The doctor furrowed his brow and explained as if it was obvious. "Well when we heard you weren't feeling well, it brought to our attention that you have yet to submit to a medical examination or receive any of the required vaccines that are necessary to protect the many citizens of Yorktown from possible alien pathogens." Although the doctor wasn't a particularly intimidating man, each member of his group was much larger and currently looking like they were ready to take measures into their own hands if she decided to run. She looked at each one trying to size them up.

"No. I will not go with you." Her stern words didn't seem to faze the doctor. Isenberg pushed his glasses further up his nose, his grin never faltering.

"Oh, this isn't an optional exam Miss Jaylah. All new arrivals to this station are required to undergo a full medical evaluation. Without this examination, you could expose yourself and this city to numerous forms of bacteria that could have severe consequences on the entire population." The doctor took a step forward in an attempt gain her attention. "Jim Kirk may have cleared you to come to this city but he failed to get my authorization. Now you have to submit to a medical examination." Jaylah felt a sense of panic begin to rise when the group started closing.

"No!" Jaylah made a sudden move to run. The short man reached out to try and grab at her arm but Jaylah was quick to twist his hand at an excruciating angle and make a run for it. She heard the short man angrily shout at his guards to stop her and before she could take even a few steps she felt the wind knocked out of her as one of the larger security guards fired a stun gun. The impact sent her reeling towards the marble floor. As her vision began to fade from the effects of the shot to her side, she could hear the angry injured doctor shouting orders to prep her for a medical examination.

Later that evening Jaylah woke up, back in her bed, feeling stiff and slightly woozy. Her body was sore and she reached her hand up to her neck to feel a slight swelling. She ran to her mirror and saw small sore spots lining her neck just below her ear that still stung to the touch. Anger didn't even begin to describe the feelings she had coursing through her. She felt sick to her stomach at the realization of what had happened. She pulled the mirror off the wall and tossed it across the room. At the sound of the shattering glass she let out a scream to the air. She had to get out of that room. She needed something to take her mind off of what had transpired.

Jaylah all but sprinted to Genesis. Upon her arrival, she immediately ordered a large glass of orange juice and downed the whole glass before ordering another. A young off duty cadet had seen the pale woman arrive and took note of how quickly she was drinking. He guessed that this might be his opportunity to get lucky and sauntered over to what he assumed was a soon to be a very inebriated woman.

"So, who's the guy?" He tried to use as charming a tone as possible as leaned back against the bar, just a little too close for Jaylah's comfort. She took another drink of her orange juice before answering without even a glance at the young man.  
"What guy?" Despite her lack of attention, the cadet wasn't going to give up. He gave a slight smile before continuing.  
"Come on. I know that look. Some guy decided to let a gorgeous woman like yourself get away and now you're here trying to drink away your sorrows. I've seen it plenty of times" He bumped her arm with his trying to get a response with no such luck. Jaylah clenched her teeth without answering. Her breathing became heavy and this seemed to encourage the young man farther.  
"Hey if you want to cry it's okay." He moved to put a hand on her lower back. "I'm happy to be a shoulder to cry on." Just as his hand made contact, Jaylah's elbow met with the man's nose. She brought a hand to his chest and hauled him onto the bar with a shout. The man only had a split second to register the fact that a pale fist was headed straight towards his head.

"JAYLAH!"

Jaylah's actions halted, leaving her fist resting just a few inches from the shaken officer's eye. Jaylah looked over to see Scotty standing right in front of her holding her wrist that was sitting just above the man now strewn across the bar. The engineer had walked through the door just in time to see the young cadet headed towards Jaylah and automatically sensed trouble. He thanked the powers that be that he had been able to stop her hand just in time, although he suspected it was her name being shouted rather than his grip on her wrist that had stopped her.

"Jaylah, come on now. He's no' worth it." By now the whole bar was staring at the spectacle and Scotty new he'd have to get her out of there before any more trouble came of it. "Come on lassie. I think he's had enough" He gestured towards the man whose nose was now bleeding. Jaylah took one last look at the man before pulling away. Scotty knew she wasn't fond of being touched by strangers but her actions startled him. The crew had been at Yorktown for a couple months now, and although he'd noticed a few people venturing to try and tame the wild lady from an unknown planet, he'd never heard of any of these attempts ending in violence. Something wasn't right.

Scotty was quick to pull her out of the bar and into the low-lit streets. As soon as they were out of the bar Jaylah began walking at a brisk pace away from Genesis.

"Ah wait, now hold up there lassie!"

He brought a hand to her shoulder halting her movements and took a stance in front of her. Although she'd stopped he couldn't help but notice that she failed to meet his eyes. He decided to keep his tone level to avoid upsetting her further.

"Mind telling me wha' that was all abou'?" She continued to avoid his gaze and he could see from her stiff posture that she was shaken. Her eyes darted along the ground as if she was looking for her answer there.

"He did not have permission to touch me," she answered through gritted teeth. Scotty didn't miss the strain in her voice and wondered what had triggered such a response.

"Aye, he had no right, but I don' remember you ever hitting me for touchin' you." He knew that wasn't fair. They'd developed a closer relationship since meeting on Altamid and he knew that he was one of the few people she felt comfortable around. He would be lying if he said that this knowledge didn't give him a small amount of pride.

"He is just like that other man. He does not ask permission to touch" She ground out the last word and it sent his blood pressure up a few notches. Who had touched her?

"Wha' are you talking about lassie? Who touched you?"

"The doctor called Isenberg." He clenched his fist trying to reign in his temper at her answer. Scotty couldn't help but feel helpless, like he was back on Altamid and she was telling him of Mannis.

"He said I had… a bacteria. I tried to run but he stopped me. I do not remember anything else but he gave me these." She pulled the collar of her shirt down to show the tiny light blue circular sores along her neck that he recognized as the marks of at least five or six medical shots. He couldn't look at her. His people had done this. Even if it was something as trivial as a few shots, he knew that by doing it without her permission the doctor had greatly hindered her trust in the Federation; possibly even her trust in him. The thought of what they'd done made his blood boil. He felt like hitting something.

She never cried but he could tell that her emotions were hanging on by a thread.

"Come on lassie. I'll take ya home and we'll get this straightened out." He reached out for her hand.

"No!" Jaylah let out a breath attempting to reign in her emotions. "No, I will not go back there. They will find me again." Scotty felt his heart breaking at the fear in her voice. He knew Jaylah to be one of the strongest people he'd ever met and that bastard had broken a part of her.

"Alrigh', well then you can come stay with me for a bit." He felt her eyes on him as he said everything in a rush. "No one will come looking for you there. I can keep an eye out to make sure no one bothers you for a time and we'll figure out the rest later." Scotty knew this wasn't a permanent solution but at the very least he could offer her a place where no one would think to look for her. Jaylah let out a breath, nodded, and began walking again. As they walked back to his apartment, Scotty made no further attempts at getting any more details from her about what had happened. He'd heard more than enough.

By the time they'd reached their destination, the orange juice Jaylah drank earlier began to ease her frazzled nerves. Once inside his apartment she'd taken a seat on the nearby sofa and rested her head on the arm. Scotty had planned to offer her his bed while he took the sofa but before he had the chance Jaylah had fallen fast asleep on his couch. The engineer pulled her feet up so she could rest comfortably and placed a blanket over her. He kept the lights on low so if she were to wake she wouldn't have trouble knowing where she was. Once he was certain she was at ease he went to his bedroom, tossed his leather jacket on the bed, and walked over to his personal computer. He pulled up the medical database and keyed in a search for just one word;

"Isenberg"

 **So what did y'all think? I had so much fun writing this chapter. Don't worry. I won't leave y'all hanging. I've written the next chapter and if I can't complete the 4** **th** **chapter before my fall semester starts I'll be posting the next one before it's finished (sans the minor cliffhanger). Reviews are always appreciated and I'd be happy to hear any ideas for future chapter scenes if you feel like sharing them.**


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